Warning.... Actual Knitting Content Ahead

I have two whole finished objects to report! And not dinky little hats or something, but two whole sweaters! And, there's new hair too!!!

First up is my Garter Yoke, which has been done for ages, but I finally found a time when: (1)it was cool enough to not risk heat stroke by wearing on an alpaca and wool sweater; (2) not raining; (3)there was a willing photographer around; and(4) my landlady wasn't home so we could have free reign of the property.

Pattern: Garter Yoke Cardigan by Melissa LaBarre (Knit.1, Fall/Winter 2008/ Vogue Website)
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Lana D'Oro, Color 206. I used exactly 9 skeins.
Needles: Size 6 Clover Bamboo
Start/End Dates: January 21 2009 to April 2009



Over all, I'm pretty happy with this (which I guess is my first finished sweater). I like the pattern, but there'd be a few changes if I made it again: (1) I'd cast on fewer stitches at the start to make the neck not as wide (the pattern is a bit strange in that all sizes call for casting on the same amount of stitches); (2) short rows for bust shaping; (3) I modified it to have sleeve shaping, which was a good idea, but I think I made them a bit too small (well, other than the neck, pretty much the whole sweater is a bit too small).



But, overall, it is a great pattern, and it could be a very fast knit (I purl slow, so that went a little slow). Highly recommended!!!



Next up is my Liesl, the eleven day sweater (which I could have finished in a week if I'd tried and hadn't taken a few days off in the middle).




Pattern: Liesl by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Araucania Nature Cotton, colorway 11. I used all of the 4 skeins I had.
Needles: Size 10.5 Denise (using magic loop for the sleeves).
Start/End Dates: July 19-30, 2009




I made the high neck version, and ended up not putting in any button holes, and I’m happy to just wear it as an open sweater (if I wanted it closed I think I’d go up a size). I know some people have had problems with the sleeves, so I was really careful to think about which direction to go as I picked up the underarm stitches and proceed carefully; I had no issues with that.




However, as you can see, it is a bit short. I'm hoping it will stretch out a bit, as cotton has the tendency to do. But I'm afraid it maybe the Murphy's Law of yarn behavior, that the one time you want cotton to stretch, it won't. I really liked working with the yarn, but it does shed a lot. When I started this project I’d already tried to use the yarn for two failed Ballet T Shirts, so it had been frogged twice already, it seems to have held up pretty well, but I’m going to reserve final judgment until it has been washed/worn a few times to see if there are piling issues.

Overall, I love this pattern, and I'm pretty sure I'll be making a few more. The pattern is well written and easy to memorize and fast. But best of all, it's great for Hawaii's climate, and a great stash buster.

I'm trying to resist the urge to cast on for something new, and trying to finish up the Lotus Blossom Tank, and maybe even the Biker Jacket (it is so close), before I start anything new. But this is a happy post, talking about the rarely seen actual finished object, so I'm not going to get into that.